January/February 2024

Features & Trends

2024 LibLearnX Preview

By Diana Panuncial

The American Library Association’s (ALA) LibLearnX conference will be held January 19–22, bringing collaborative learning activities, networking opportunities, celebrations, and author talks to the city of Baltimore. Designed for active learning, the conference will offer more than 100 educational programs in returning formats—Accelerators, Ideas Xchanges, Learning Labs, and ShopTalks—created by and for library workers. New this … Continue reading 2024 LibLearnX Preview →

Cast iron bowl of mussels with sliced bread on top

Bite into Baltimore

By Meredith Pratt

Don’t know where to start? Check out this list of favorite spots a walk, rideshare, cab, or water taxi ride away from the Baltimore Convention Center and downtown hotels. Many were also featured in Frommer’s most recent list of Best Restaurants in Baltimore. Dig in! Near the Convention Center (Downtown) B&O American Brasserie 2 N. … Continue reading Bite into Baltimore →

2023 Year in Review

Another record year for book challenges Preliminary data from the Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) through August 31 showed a 20% increase in reported book challenges for 2023—surpassing the record set in 2022. The data also showed an increase in challenges that targeted multiple titles, with libraries in 11 states receiving challenges that included 100 or … Continue reading 2023 Year in Review →

Columnists

Latest Library Links

12h

Renaud Foucart writes: “The US Department of Justice may be on the verge of seeking a breakup of Google in a bid to make it less dominant. While this is still a distant prospect, it is being considered in the wake of a series of rulings in the US and the European Union which suggest that regulators are becoming increasingly frustrated by the power of big tech. But what would a breakup of these tech giants achieve for consumers?”

LLRX, Oct. 29
15h

Steven Mintz writes: “For decades, a college or university’s quality was measured by the size of its library collection. The library was the campus’s crown jewel, a towering building at the institution’s center, symbolizing academic prestige. But as collections shift online and physical books move into remote storage, the library’s purpose is now in question. For libraries to maintain their central place within the intellectual life of universities, they must become dynamic, multipurpose hubs that not only provide access to a vast array of digital and physical resources but also actively engage in the broader educational and cultural missions of their institutions.”

Inside Higher Ed: Higher Ed Gamma, Oct. 28
17h

On November 6, ALA issued a statement following the results of the 2024 US election. The full statement reads as follows: “In response to results of the 2024 US election, ALA vowed to continue its defense of the core values of librarianship in the face of political threats. ‘We know that many of our members are concerned that the election results portend attacks on libraries, library workers, and readers,’ said ALA President Cindy Hohl. ‘Whatever happens, ALA will stand up for all Americans’ freedom to read—and we will need everyone who loves libraries to stand with us.’”

AL: The Scoop, Nov. 6
1d

“Over 1.2 million school-aged children were identified as experiencing homelessness during the 2021–2022 school year. Kids who are experiencing homelessness and their caregivers can benefit greatly from the services libraries offer, including computer and printing access, programs and classes, books and other materials, and a place to spend time when their housing situation may not be safe or comfortable. Every school district in the US is required by federal law to have a homeless student liaison, usually called a McKinney-Vento liaison. The good news is that it’s usually pretty easy to find your McKinney-Vento liaison.”

ALSC Blog, Nov. 2
2d

“As early as 2003, certain university libraries in the US developed virtual libraries in the online video game Second Life and offered a variety of services, marking the first practical research on metaverse libraries. The metaverse is regaining popularity nearly two decades later, and technological circumstances have improved. Today’s metaverse is a collection of new technologies, including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), gaming, networking, etc. VR and AR are two of the most important metaverse enabling technologies, and their use in university libraries is growing.”

College & Research Libraries, Nov.
2d

Christina Caron writes: “On social media, Mychal Threets was spreading the gospel of ‘library joy’ to hundreds of thousands of followers. But at his job, as a supervisor at the Fairfield Civic Center Library in Solano County, California, he was facing new challenges. Over a year, Threets filed more than 170 incident reports documenting how library patrons had acted out: property damage, harassment, physical altercations. Like Threets, librarians around the country are struggling to reconcile their desire to serve their communities with their need for self-preservation.”

New York Times, Oct. 31
2d

Megan Bennett writes: “‘Stop the Draft!’ ‘I Like Ike.’ ‘I’m with Her.’ From the iconic to the incendiary, political messages like these have emblazoned buttons and pins since the start of US elections. Since 2012, Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has been archiving political buttons. The collection now spans thousands of items over a century’s worth of campaigns and causes. The collection has approximately 4,800 buttons and pins and 200 stickers. Most fit into one of three categories: campaigns (local and national), sociopolitical movements, and community organizations like unions.”

American Libraries column, Nov./Dec.

View more Latest Library Links

January/February 2024

Features & Trends

2024 LibLearnX Preview

Bite into Baltimore

2023 Year in Review

Referenda Roundup 2023: Campaign Stories

In Their Own Words

Spirit-Free Spaces

Hot Topic

Show Us Your Beautiful New Library

A Winning Case

Newsmaker: Ali Hazelwood

By the Numbers: Literary Baltimore

Bookend: Keeping Track

Columnists

A Time of Transition

Stories That Resonate

A New Ethic of Accountability

Purpose and Productivity

Committing to Equity

Fighting Posttenure Fatigue

Finding Funding